Braving the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, farmers achieved a bumper production of 9, 30,870 tons of winter vegetables in Rangpur agriculture region during the just-ended Rabi season.
Market sources and officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers are happy getting bumper output of winter vegetables and its fair prices also to successfully tackle the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Bibhubhushan Roy said a target of producing 9,48,360 tons of winter vegetables from 38,350 hectares of land was fixed for the region during the last Rabi season.
“However, enthusiastic farmers cultivated winter vegetables on 39,895 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 4.03% in the region,” he said.
The government distributed incentives among small, marginal and flood-affected farmers in the region where cultivation of vegetables during both winter and summer seasons has become popular bringing lucrative profits to farmers.
The agriculture related departments, organisations and institutions have extended adequate assistance to farmers in making the winter vegetables farming program a complete success in the region.
“The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and other organisations provided quality seeds, incentives and agri-inputs and technical assistance to farmers,” Roy said.
On the other hand, commercial banks disbursed easy-term agriculture loans among farmers to make the winter vegetables farming program successful.
Vegetable-trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar said farmers sold different varieties of winter vegetables at between Tk35 and Tk 60 per kg to the middlemen during the just-ended Rabi season.
“The retail prices were, however, higher by Tk 15 to Tk 20 per kg on an average in local markets as some vegetables perished during the transportation and marketing under the Covid-19 pandemic situation,” he said.
Vegetable farmers Lokman Hossain, Abdur Rahman, Ismail Hossain, Farhaduzzaman, Manik Mian and Akram Hossain of different villages in Rangpur said they got a bumper production of all varieties of winter vegetables.
Farmers Korban Ali, Jamilur Rahman, Montaz Ali, Iqbal Hossain and Dulal Chandra Sarker in Rangpur Sadar upazila expressed satisfaction over market prices of all varieties of their produced winter vegetables during the last Rabi season.
Cultivation on mainland and char areas bringing high profits
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rahman Rashid said farmers had cultivated winter vegetables on more lands both in the mainland and char areas to earn higher profits.
President of Rangpur Chamber Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu stressed setting up agro-industries and preservation facilities in Rangpur region for enhancing export of locally produced vegetables abroad to bring more profits to farmers.
“There is a fabulous prospect for exporting locally produced vegetables in Rangpur region to Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern, African, European and far eastern countries,” he added.
